Marmite
by ZombieXoX
Summary: Bay-verse/Prime/ slightly Armada setting, following on immediately after TF:ROTF. After gathering intelligence that Unicron is approaching Earth Megatron proposes a truce between Autobot and Decepticon. To defeat the approaching menace the two factions must collaborate under one roof while abiding to human regulations. Easier said than done.
1. Prologue

**Woo first Transformers Fan Fic :D  
I posted this fan fic chapter before only it was the prologue and first chapter combined making it a bit of long, gruelling effort to get through so I split into separate chapters to make it a bit less forebodingly massive. **

**- Important bit-**

**This fanfic takes place IMMEDIATELY after the end of Revenge of the Fallen – I'm not a big fan of the Michael Bay films so I've made a few adjustments – Firstly:**

**The heinous Bay-Twins Mudflap and Skids have been replaced with the much more handsome Sunstreaker and mischievous Sideswipe.**

**Secondly, most of the TF: Prime charaters will be involved somehow somewhere.**

**Thirdly, any mistakes, spelling or grammatical or otherwise PLEASE point them out as well as parts of the story that don't 'Jel' anything you feel is stupid or requires criticism feel free to criticize...but please don't troll .**

**Finally, I've set the rating at T although there's nothing really that bad going to happening at present, but if the rating goes up (which it probably will) I'll post a warning and explanation at the top of the chapter.**

**(I've written all this totally aware that no one reads the author's comments xD)**

"Not to call you a coward, Master, but sometimes cowards do survive..."

The venomous drawl of Starscream's tone still echoed in the back of Megatron's processor as he and his Second in Command sped across turbulent skies. Curse Starscream! The fool! They should've stayed and held their ground like the formidable warriors Decepticons claimed to be. Now they were limping across a raging sky at reduced speeds, ducking and weaving to avoid forks of lightning being spat at them while their afts were gradually pecked away by pitiful ammunition launched by their human pursuers.

A bolt of lightning struck the path ahead of them. The deluge of rain bombarded them so heavily it scrambled their sensors so much so that two fliers almost failed to react in time. They banked widely out to avoid the obstruction, the angle providing Megatron with an opportunity to pop a few poorly aimed shots at the two human fighter jets.

The missiles he dispatched ripped out of their silos drawing a large portion of energon with them. Megatron watched globules the vivid purple fluid powering his life force dissolve into the torrents of rain and speed into the churning ocean below. The pain was raw and as powerful as the amber flames erupting from the human vessels as his missiles impacted upon them. Unfortunately that did not mark the end of the human's pursuit. The erratic sweeps Megatron's sensors conducted showed more of the accursed jets approaching fast and no matter how hard he coaxed his systems he could not muster the energy to out run them any longer.

"_Starscream_!" He roared into their communications link. Their feeble endeavour to escape had failed it was time to confront they attacker as they should've done from the beginning. The feedback he received was nothing but static partly drowned out by the howl of the gale beating past his audio sensors.

In the meantime Starscream had gained the lead in their chase across one of Earth's larger oceans, his engines were revving hard driving him faster and faster and further from his leader. Gritting his denta Megatron growled furiously into the Comm. Link ordering his second to respond.

More static was all he received, and what might have been his second's screechy reply distorted and ruined by the interference.

Megatron was relaying a more pressing and violent transmission to Starscream when a sensor that until now had been dormant whirled into life, the irritating wails it generated growing more frantic.

Catching him off guard, a rocket gushed toward Megatron firing sparks out of its end. When Megatron altered his course the projectile keenly followed him, clipping him on his wing and sending him spiralling radically out of control.

"Starscream!" He hollered one last time. In the dizziness and haze of his vision he saw the shrinking glow of the seeker's engine burning through the storm.

The human reinforcements were upon him, unleashing their fire power manically in an attempt to shut down what was left in him that hadn't already offlined itself.

Overcome by a fury that had little regard for his self preservation Megatron fired another torpedo, this one aimed at his loathsome Second in Command. In his final moments of coherence Megatron had the pleasure of witnessing Starscream blown into a state of chaos and take a dive before Megatron's optics and the rest of his systems succumbed to their ungodly damage the day's peril had inflicted upon him.

"Frag!" The word fell from Starscream's mouth easier than breathing and it was all he could think to do as sirens sounded from every crashing program in his CPU.

The ground was approaching fast. He'd passed over the sea long ago and was gliding at impossible speeds, skimming through the clouds in an unbreakable descent. Curse Megatron! He'd blasted him to ruin.

The terrain was mostly flat. Starscream made that assumption from the fleeting glimpses he caught of the blurry landscape between breaks in the clouds as the system designed for extrapolating land relief was non-functional too.

Rain water seeped into a gouge carved in a mutilated wing joint and a few more sparks were spat out of the laceration. The sting was unbearable. More sparks and a vicious burn followed as the wind ripped off some loose panelling that was lost to the land below.

Starscream dropped out of the cloud cover with a trail of black smoke darkening his wake.

Night blackened the land beneath him and millions of twinkling orange lights marking areas of significant human populaces. Starscream hoped to avoid them - he didn't want the wretched insects tinkering with his systems when he was in no position to swat them off.

With a groan his lifted the nose of his altmode as best he could in the hope of swooping a little further onward before he was forced to a grizzly halt.

How he detested his commander, who, right now was probably at the mercy of those fleshy abominations – poking and tweaking with systems they had no comprehension of, their disgusting, bacterial-ridden digits feeling and grabbing and soiling the sanctity of Megatron's inner workings.

I'd rather him than me. Starscream thought wryly, allowing his mind to momentarily wander and relish the notion of the tyrant suffering as much as, if not more than he was about to.

The ground was much closer now, neat hedgerows and expansive squares of cropped grass stretched over hillocks for miles and miles. The rain had transformed much of land in a waterlogged bog. Starscream grimaced. Soon he'd be buried up to his optics in mud. The notion churned his tanks.

He crashed through a cluster of trees. More programs blared in malcontent. Branches lodged themselves into every crevice. Leaves pasted themselves to his windshield.

"Frag!" Up ahead he spotted a large obstruction. A building of some sort smattered in a flaky roan paint and squatting to the left of it was another building, both were in complete darkness.

The larger of the two building, he decided, would provide ideal shelter. The possibility of encountering fleshy parasites seemed worth the risk if it meant steering clear of the repellent mud. Not that navigation was luxury he was in control of currently. Nevertheless, if he timed his transformation correctly he supposed he could stop himself just short of the building and then drag his aching frame inside providing his pedes were still functional.

Brushing petty concerns aside Starscream readied himself to transform.

The whir of his remaining engine came to a spluttering finish, deciding now was the time gears began dislodging, sheets of metal slid back revealing two lanky appendages that Starscream stretched out readily to take the brunt of them impact.

With the process nearly at its completion Starscream saw clearly each soggy blade of grass reaching up to meet him and the pungent dampness plugged up his sensors.

Surely his sense to abscond safely capped Megatron primitive need to grapple even when the odds were stacked greatly against him. Only a tragic fool would've allowed themselves to fall at mercy of humans Starscream's grim sense of satisfaction allowed him to think when he was suddenly struck.

All sensors scrambled, caught between being a jet and his root mode Starscream somersaulted through the air. The nose of his cockpit dug deep into the sodden ground tearing up chunks of grassy earth and sprayed vital cogs and pistons about the field.

When Starscream's turbines screeched they competed with the blare of thunder rolling over head as he desperately sought to correct himself, but his endeavour failed and he smashed to an ugly halt short of the large red edifice, carving a deep, muddy trench into the soil.

Dumbfounded; Starscream remained sprawled in the soil. The enormity of his shock took control and rendered him lame.

Through the curtain of rain he watched a light flicker into life through a window embedded into the smaller structures wall. The warm hue it cast out marking dim silhouettes of the building's human occupants.

Humans, Starscreams countenance darkened. He'd wanted to avoid them but why was that? He couldn't recall. And how...how did he arrive here, on the ground in such a mess? It seemed that memory had elapsed his mind too.

His optics flickered.

There was a building in front him - A building now brightly lit and alive with sounds made by the native occupants.

How did he get here? And why was he on the ground? As a seeker he didn't like lying around for too long, it felt unnatural. If only he could recall his purpose for landing then maybe he wouldn't be feeling so uncomfortable. But he couldn't.

Growing fidgety, the need to break into altitudes found Starscream and devoured him with hungry, pressing urges. He made to right him but found he was suck. He couldn't move! Couldn't fly! He was immobilised between modes and panicking.

Wrenching his torso out of the mire Starscream attempted to force the transformation process.

The pain was excruciating. Systems stalled, floods of errors bombarded him and he retreated to the ground – convulsing in a blinding agony.

The door to the human's dwelling was burst open. A large being tromped onto the cobbled path, shouting, while a smaller being huddled itself against the doorframe.

Humans are a peculiar species – Starscream had encountered them before. A sense of inexplicable fondness welled up inside him. What caused that? And what was he still doing on the ground?

Those haunting questions followed him into stasis.


	2. Clash

"_We are the champions my friend_

_ And we'll keep on fighting to the end"_

"We are the champions! We are the champions!

No time for losers beca"-

"You three! Slow down!" Ratchet's voice boomed through speeding mechs' sound systems disrupting Samuel Witwicky's chiming chorus. A frown cut into the boy's brow, he didn't appreciate the interruption, not when he was in full swing.

Through Bumblebee's windshield he saw the pair of Lamborghinis zigzag on the road ahead with not a single care for the cantankerous medic's dutiful adhesion to the highway-code.

"Why don't you try keeping up Ratch?" Sideswipe sang to the old medic through the open radio, delighting in the frustration he incited. Ratchet huffed,

"You younglings have no"- Bumblebee cut out of the conversation before it could escalate and the dying notes of Queen returned quietly on the radio.

Sam sighed, it felt good to be back on American soil. Their stint in Egypt may have been short but it was exhausting and nothing like the relaxing, cocktail and scuba diving filled experience he would imagine it to be if he ever went there on holiday. Then again, Sam mused, in future, wherever he went if there was an Autobot present relaxation wouldn't factor into the excursion.

He was lounged on Bumblebee's back seats, Mikaela was pressed against him, sitting quietly with her pretty bare feet dangling out the window enjoying the warm draft. She was staring behind them at the bulky green rescue vehicle was the Ratchet lagging behind the rest of them. While he did normally like to play things safe Ratchet wasn't usually this particular about keeping to the speed limits on such a quiet road. They hadn't passed a soul in hours and Mikaela supposed Ratchet's change had come from the fact he was carrying Sam's parents in his seats.

Judy and Ron Witwicky were probably lecturing the medic right now, drilling road rules into him then quizzing him what he'd just been told. A small smile pulled up the corners of her lips. Poor Ratch'.

Beside Ratchet was the much daintier form of Arcee crumpled into the shape of a sleek blue motorbike. Mikaela hadn't gotten to know Arcee that well, she was the most recent Autobot to break Earth's orbit with the exception of the twins but unlike the twins – whose presence at the base could not go unnoticed - Arcee was quieter, more withdrawn Mikaela thought, she went about her business without a complaint and now was providing soundless support to Ratchet in his struggle to provide answers to the Witwicky tirade.

Optimus would've been more suited to managing their concerns. It was his abound patience that made Mikaela proud to say that she followed the Autobot cause. Mikaela felt for Optimus, no sooner had he set one giant foot off the plane did they see of a group of official-looking gentlemen bustle up to him waving papers. The mech had just died and been resurrected in the space of two days, surely whatever it was they were impressing upon him could wait until morning after a proper nights rest, alas it seemed could not be.

The return flight to America had been nothing but stress. It was too long and made longer by Sunsteaker and Sideswipes incessant moaning and demands and while many agreed with the twin's complaints it was a general wish that they wouldn't be so vocal about it. When they landed Sunsteaker was the first off closely followed by his twin in a roar of engine throttle and screech of breaks. Together they proceeded to burn rings into the tar mark much to Simmon's distaste.

The men in suits continued to badger Optimus, his continence grew darker, eventually he conceded to their demands and agreed to accompany them elsewhere, he asked for Ironhide to join him and, not wanting to be left out of loop, Simmons tagged along too.

Being the leader of the Autobots wasn't a responsibility Mikaela wouldn't wish on anybody and she couldn't see anyone performing the task better Optimus Prime did.

Mikaela looked away from Ratchet and her concentration returned to the car. On the roadside stood an impressively tall sign that would've rivalled Bumblebee when he was at his full height. Sam gazed upon the golden arches of the McDonalds 'M' and was suddenly reminded of how hungry he was.

"Hey Bee do you think we coul"-

A high pitched squeal interrupted Sam. It was enough to make the humans feel like their skulls was imploding and squashing their hands against their ears did nothing to stifle to sound.

Alarmed, Bumblebee spun out of control.

In their state of chaos the car suddenly flipped over and smashed onto its roof, Bumblebee's bonnet was completely crushed and indented with the imprint of knuckles made by the metallic fist that'd hit it.

Sam hung from his chair, the seatbelt suspending him dug into his ribs. Mikaela was curled on the floor and still.

"N-No, No!" Sam panicked, frantically clawing at the seatbelt.

Beside him then heavy 'trumps' of Sunstreak and Sideswips footsteps pounded the ground in their bipedal modes, racing toward their enemy. Still fiddling the seatbelt release Sam twisted to gaze out of half of what remained of Bumblebee's rear windshield.

Behind them stood an enormous mech, larger in height than Ironhide but more lean. Its deep navy armour reflected the strong glare of the afternoon sun. Sam could not see its face as it was disguised behind some kind of visor but from its torso extended two long tentacle-like appendages that whipped and scratched at the twins. Sunstreaker danced about to avoid them.

A twinge of pain bolted up Sam's side, he turned away from the battle with a yelp and tugged on the seatbelt clasp. It mechanism broke and Sam crashed into the roof of the car beside Mikaela who still wasn't awake.

He lifted her onto his lap, looped his hands beneath her shoulders and began inching out of the car.

"Samuel Witwicky!" Arcee's blue face appeared behind him, giving Sam and unwanted fright. She clutched Bumblebee's door and jimmied it open then scooped out the two humans and rested them on the roadside.

"Wait here." She ordered, glancing down the road she saw Ratchet arrive with his siren wailing and lights flashing wildly.

When Judy and Ron Witwicky hopped out of Ratchet Arcee raced off to join the fight.

"Sam!" Judy howled, she and Ron rushed toward him with a third man Sam didn't recognise. An older, wizened man with shabby brown hair dressed in a mountain rescues outfit. Sam stared at him as he arrived with his parents, "Oh Sammy." Judy threw her arms round Sam's neck and squeezed him.

"Is she breathing?" Asked the mountain rescuer, his voice was gruff and gravelly and familiar.

"R-Ratchet?" Sam squeaked. The hologram growled at him.

"Answer!"

"I – I don't know!" Sam stared down at Mikaela, he skin was marred with friction burns and dust swept up from the road.

Ratchet made a deep, guttural noise as he dredged up his links with the human internet. He was not a human doctor, he'd been attempting to familiarise himself with the workings of human body systems out of interest during some of the rare quieter months but it wasn't enough to conduct an examination of an actual human life form and determine its ailment.

"Use my radio, call for back up. Tell them we'll need an ambulance." Ratchet ordered, not bothering to look up and interrupt his study of Mikaela.

Forgetting his own injuries Sam bounced to his feet and bounded toward Ratchet's true self. Someone's shadow passed over him as he ran and a battered red body landed against the McDonalds sign. Sideswipe cycled his vents. Pressing a large palm to his aching processor he shook out his aches and pushed himself back to his pedes.

"Soundwave's a tricky fragger." He muttered in passing to Sam and seized the bowed metal pole of the M he'd collided with, ripping it out of the ground. With a feral war cry Sideswipe returned to the battle, waving and jabbing his makeshift trident at the enemy.

Soundwave: the name explained the dreadful noise that disabled them.

Clambering into Ratchet's passenger seat Sam snatched up the radio and dialled for backup. While static rang through the radio speaker Sam watched the Decepticon mech tear the McDonald's sign from Sideswipes grasp using the strange tentacle appendages and promptly beat the red mech over the head with it sending Sideswipe reeling back.

"Hello?" The voice coming from the radio caught Sam by surprised. He jumped and stumbled over his words while he spoke into the mouthpiece contraption.

"Yes! This is Samel Witwicky calling from Autobot Ratchet, we are under attack, we need immediate assistance..."

As Sam hailed for help Arcee sprung up behind Soundwave and perched herself between the larger mech's shoulder. Her thin digits dug into his circuitry seeking to disrupt and wreak havoc. Soundwave thrashed about, errors and failures to reboot were cropping up all over his systems as the little femme continued to pull apart his wiring.

Sunstreaker lunged at the Decepticon's chest, he was seized and shot back. Skidding across the dusty road, grit and dirt collected in his joints until Sunstreaker finally came to rest by sliding into Bumblebee.

The dashing yellow point covering his frame had been dulled of its usual lustre bringing a familiar fury burning into his systems.

"Get up you lazy slagger!" He slapped Bumblebee's misshaped tire making it spin unsteadily. Bumblebee released a low moan, his will to co-operate was there but his systems did not share his enthusiasm.

Arcee clutched a fistful of wires and tugged upon them. Soundwave's entire body lurched back and she knew she'd found a sweet spot. She continued to pull, drawing out more nodules and flecks of electricity were discharged as fuses blew out. But her keenness to pursue her discovery left her blind to what was happening around her.

A tentacle rose from behind, like a weaving serpent. Its claws twitched and it sped forward with enough force to pierce armour.

Arcee paused in her onslaught. Her hands twitched round the wires she still held then fell limp.

She'd been skewered. He was inside her, invading, prying, infecting. How could she get him out? She couldn't.

Rushes of information overcame her. Intakes became short and shallow. He was sifting through terabytes of information, most of which had relevance to Megatron and the battle that'd taken place in Egypt. But there was something else, while he was pealing back the layers of her CPU, digging deep, he was adding something. Something that made her frame shiver and convulse.

"Arcee!" Sideswipe cried. She dully stared back at him, immobile. Then everything moved suddenly and became blurred.

Soundwave cast her aside, with one swift lash of his tentacle he lobbed Arcee's numb shell through the air and Sideswipe barely caught her in time.

The little femm bot twitched in his arms. Her blue optics were wide like saucers staring at everything but completely unfocused.

"Arcee!" He said again, giving her a shake.

Ahead of them Soundwave stomped forward unsteadily. His balance lost as a result of Arcee's tampering between his shoulders.

The vicious little crawls at the end of his longer tentacles rotated and buzzed like drills. They fixed themselves on Sideswipe and Arcee and floated forward. Lifting Arcee Sideswipe lugged her backward.

Two blue beans scored the floor in front of Soundwave causing the larger mech to stumble.

Ratchet came thundering toward him, brandishing his gyratory saw like a maniac.

"Get back!" The medic bellowed, swiping the revving saw at Soundwave's head and clipped one of the long fin-like protrusions jutting from his shoulder instead.

In one swift motion Soundwave leapt into the air and transformed, his thrusters blasting Ratchet and unsettling the dust about them as he sped off into the clouds. Ratchet lowered his formidable saw and watched him go.

Behind him Sideswipe muttered to Arcee but she didn't respond.

"Ratchet." He stared up at the medic with concern, "What's the matter with her?"

Ratchet darkened, his bottom lip curling. He'd seen that empty, expressionless daze in mechs before and it was indeed as he feared Arcee had been infected with a virus.


	3. Bargin

The Autobots base, tucked away in the Nevada desert had been quiet as of recently. Its occupant's exodus to Egypt had been sudden meaning many projects were left uncompleted and that had left the base in an eerie state of limbo, until now.

Doors burst open. Metal feet pounded through the corridors, their long strides putting them ahead of the cluster of humans following them. Sunstreaker led the charge. He and his twin had been made to complete the journey to base by their own devices when backup finally arrived for the battered comrades.

Ratchet along with Arcee, who was quivering, and Bumblebee –stuck in his altmode, had been loaded into the hanger of an impressively sized Earth vessel then ferried to the base ahead of the twins, who were left to carry Samuel and Ron Witwicky inside them.

The ambulance had arrived not long after their air support had left. Mikaela was recovering when the fussy paramedics began poking at her. They insisted she accompany them to the nearest hospital, Judy was adamant that she should be the one to travel with Mikaela in spite of her son's strong desire to do so.

This pleased Sunstreaker as the subtraction of the two human females meant there were only two males left to consider - two males that could fit quite comfortably into his brother's seats and not his, meaning that Sideswipe was made to deal with a sulky Sam all the way back to base.

As they raced up the winding desert roads they collected more followers; Captain Lennox came roaring alongside them, strapped into Ironhide's driver seat.

Ron gazed at the hulking black topkick in awe. Out of all of his sons 'Alien Friends' as he'd fondly dubbed them, Ironhide was the 'bot who'd made the least contact with their family. In a manner of speaking Ron was grateful for the giant's persistent avoidance, frankly the bulky black mech scared the hell out of him. He scared him more than Ratchet's infamous temper or Optimus's inbuilt ability to gut any opponent from balls to brains with one fell swoop of his sword. Ron had seen Ironhide in action, dressing down the Decepticons in Egypt. Ironhide was skilled. He made wrecking everything in sight look like an art and he enjoyed what he did because he did it so very well. And maybe it was the enjoyment factor that sent the chill through Ron's spine when he heard Ironhide's gravelly voice crackle through Sideswipe's stereo.

"Ratchet informed us of your run in with Soundwave. Optimus is on his way."

"We could've really used your help big guy. What was so important that you had to miss kickin' Decepticon can for it?" Asked Sideswipe; a small impression of jest sneaking into his words. Ironhide was quiet. The radio link was still active as the whispering static indicated, Ironhide held them in a perpetuated silence that put everyone at unease.

"I'd rather only have to explain once, when we are all present." With that he cut the Comm. Link and drifted further apart from the twins. Ron watched him. Through the tinted glass of Ironhide's rear windows Ron spotted the vague outline of another shape sitting on the backseats.

A stockier man, tall and broad, he was wearing sunglasses and cheap blue suit. As Ron gawked at him through the window the stranger turned to him, over the rims of his glasses he returned Ron's scrutiny.

Flinching away from the window Ron straightened himself and sat stiffly in Sideswipe trying not to look again at the man in Ironhide for the rest of the journey.

"How are they Ratchet?" Sunstreaker asked upon throwing open the medical bay door. The medic flinched, his hands were entrenched deeply in Bumblebee's circuitry.

In screechy Cybertronian he clicked at the twins and made a sharp hiss.

Apologetically the twins took a few steps back, sorry that they'd disturbed him so abruptly.

The medical bay was crammed with make-shift machinery Ratchet had crafted since the Autobots had settled into their new abode. Cybertronian sized instruments for Cybertronian sized jobs – as Ratchet put it. The clunky consol Acree was hooked up to beep steadily, she was on the berth at the centre of the lab, her body lit up by an adjustable light reaching down from the high ceiling.

Ironhide pushed past the twins and gingerly tromped over to her, scrutinising her from a distance as if he feared she contagious.

"Can I help?" He asked. At the sound of his voice Arcee's head flopped limply to the side. She was staring at him, or so Ironhide thought but it was as if there was nothing happening in her processor to register who he was.

"Unless I need you to blast holes in their chassis, no, I don't think so." Ratchet seethed. Ironhide took the remark with an unsettled grunt, "If anything I need Prime! If you're back where's he?"

"Prime will be along shortly, he sent us ahead to debrief you of the situation."

The humans had finally caught up and were clustered in the centre of the doorway. The man who'd spoken up was the same man Ron had spotted in Ironhide's back seats; his strong, unfamiliar voice catching the attention of all functioning bots. Captain Lennox brushed a hand against the back of his head,

"Uhh, guys this is"-

"Special Agent William Fowler." Interrupted the man in the blue suit. He removed his sunglasses and tucked them in his jacket pocket so the Autobots could see him clearly. It was apparent he'd had much experience Cybertronians, when Sideswipe shifted his massive pedes Agent Fowler didn't even twitch. "I'm here to relay a message and I'd rather not have to do it twice, are all of your faction present?"

He was addressing Ratchet who stammered slightly in his response,

"Y-yes."

"What about those two are their functioning?"

Bumblebee let out a shrill whirl that satisfied Agent Fowler as conformation. Nobody could speak for Arcee.

"At approximately 02.00 GMT two Decepticon war birds were engaged somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. One of them got away but the other bot was shot down and captured. That bot was Megatron." This incited a few gasps from the listeners, "After deliberating the issue with Prime, with his permission we decided it'd be best of the Decepticon leader was to remain here, at your base, where he can be effectively detained and under constant guard."

A cry of anger erupted from Sunstreaker,

"You cannot be serious? We can't keep something like him _here_!"

"This is insane!" Sideswipe concurred and looked to Ironhide expecting his agreement but the old warrior shook his head and Sideswipe deflated.

"I can't say I'm too fond with the idea either. But this is Prime's decision and you know he's always got a plan."

"The convoy will be here within the hour. Prime sent us on ahead so you could prepare."

"Prepare? _Ha_!" Ratchet barked cynically, "As if I already don't have enough to contend with." He glared down at Agent Fowler who held his gaze firmly, remaining stalwart when faced with the mech's sheer size. Ratchet huffed, "Fine! In _preparation,_" He sneered out the word, "Ironhide I want to find a suitable place to hold tyrant"-

"No, you misunderstand me, Optimus wants _you_, specifically you, to prepare."

Ratchet's brow lifted.

"Megatron's injured, he'll require your attention."

This earned a chorus of disbelieving squeaked from their company. Ratchet stared at Lennox, searching for some kind of verification from the more trusted human liaison. Lennox made a nod.

"Well he can get in line! Because as you can see," Ratchet gestured to the two misshapen forms lying on his births, his digits wet with transmission fluid "Fixing him will not be my top priority." An air of understanding filled the medical bay and Bumblebee released a faint moan as Ratchet reburied his servos in the little 'bot's joints.

"I want all humans off base." Ironhide spoke up and while Ron seemed more than pleased to support the idea the others pulled faces of malcontent, "Especially you, Samuel Witwicky," Added Ironhide noticing that, out of them all, he looked most likely to refute the proposal.

"But Bumblebee"-

"Will be perfectly safe in Ratchet's _capable_ servos." His admiration for the medic was something he chose to keep secret under normal circumstances as he knew the praise was travel straight to the medic's head, "But you seem to fail to remember, you are responsible for two of Megatron's greater defeats. He will not take kindly to seeing you again...alive..."

Sam gulped.

"Sunstreaker, escort the humans to their dwellings."

"No!" Sunstreaker shrieked, folding his thick arms protectively round himself. He was still marred with scratches and smeared with dirt churned up from their encounter with Soundwave but he had enough pride not to let the skin-shedding organics muck up his interior. His arrogance forbid it.

The act of defiance in a time of such impromptu disarray boiled the energon in Ironhide's circuitry. A dangerous growl pushed past his lips, a warning that Sunstreaker carelessly disregarded.

"I'll do it." Sideswipe offered quickly, nudging Sam with the steely corner of his pede as gently as he could (which was none too gentle for a human) "Come on squishies."

Sunstreaker snorted at Ironhide and went after his twin and the rabble of humans chasing after him.

"Youngling's a lot of work." Ratchet muttered. Ironhide groused,

"Indeed." He noticed Ratchet staring dimly at Arcee.

"What're you thinking?"

Ratchet constructed his reply carefully. He removed a pair of forceps from Bumblebee and wiped off the excess fluid with a bed sheet-turned rag before tending to Arcee.

She was staring at the ceiling, her optics darting from point to point.

"Just that...it's a Decepticon virus doing this to Arcee, one of the early ones from when the war started ... I'm thinking that Megatron's being here might be exactly what we need..."

"Cheer up Sam," Said Sideswipe as they ambled into the communication's lab, a lofty room that was only a short walk from the base's main entrance, " Optimus won't keep Mega-ass here for long. It'll only be temporary thing until he gives us some information or whatever, then we'll be allowed to kick his aft in the slagger and be done with him for good and we can all hang out together again, just like old times."

Not sharing Sideswipe's enthusiasm Sam made a noncommittal grunt and offered the tall red mech a flickering smile that was devoid of any truthful expression.

"What kind of information do you think Prime will be after?" Asked Agent Flower, his dumpy legs having difficulty keeping up with Sideswipe's long strides. Sideswipe shrugged.

"Don't know, the location of surviving Decepticons maybe, any bases he has, new ones or the ones from before."

"Before?" While this came as news to Lennox, Agent Fowler seemed more clued in on the matter.

"This ain't the first time the bot' visited Earth. Is it Sideswipe?" He explained, the slightly sheepish grin perking up the corners of the bot's mouthparts exhibited his nostalgia and affection for the past, "Why don't you tell us about the first time you broke orbit?"

"I knew you'd bring that up."Sideswipe squeaked, caught between embarrassment and the need to giggle, "It was about 60 years ago now, back when everybody was scavenging for relics, I arrived later than everyone else because of...personal reasons," This provoked a snort from Sunstreaker that allowed the humans to believe there was more to Sideswipes tale than he allowed them to know, "Anyway, on my way down to Earth I hit a satellite, spun myself out of sorts and got tangled up in some old hanging rope," The earned a bark of laughter from Fowler and Sideswipe looked even more sheepish, "Good thing my ol' buddy Blurr was around to get me down. You know you Earthlings really have too much junk cluttering your orbit!"

"It's hard to believe they did a better job of hiding themselves the first time round here with his idiot running about isn't it?" Fowler said to Ron, "Three years they were here for, _three years!_ And in that time they managed to tear up entire forests, wage an intergalactic war, kidnap five kids and take them to the other side of the galaxy and return them all without the military so much as getting a whiff of what was going on!"

"Sounds like you're disappointed you missed us." Sunstreaker scoffed and Fowler only grunted in return, neither confirming or denying Sunstreaker's speculation.

"Sixty years!" Ron Witwicky couldn't believe it, couldn't accept it in his heart that all this time, all the crackpots, paranoid xenophobes and drugged up hippies crying space wolf were actually right!

"And I still look fresh out the manufactory." Sunstreaker grinned, his ego oozing out of his seams. While his brother was still absorbed with himself Sideswipe poked out his glossa and pulled a face.

"So, what happened to the first lot of Earthlings to encounter you space invaders?" Sam was shrugging on his dusty, tattered hoody that was still carrying thousands of Egyptian sand grains buried between the cotton. Sideswipe was ready to answer but interrupted before he could begin by Lennox.

"Shh!" The Captain raised a hand, "You guys here that?"

In the safety of base neither of the twins had been overly conscious of the world around them, the human's preoccupied Sideswipe and Sunstreaker had his image to take over his concerns. Immediately, both 'bots perked up, scanners focusing upon the faint rumbling Lennox must have been referring to, homing in on the unusual signature roving up to their front door.

Behind them there was a crash.

Everyone spun round, hearts fluttering and sparks convulsing behind casing.

Ironhide came charging out of the medical bay,

"Understood." He muttered to the chattering voice in his audio sensors and raced through the communications room, "Their early!" He grunted at the twins and hurried off the main entrance to greet their leader and the offer a warm welcome to their nemesis.

The main entrance doors slid apart, a shaft of sunlight was seen spilling down the long hallway bringing an instance of forbidding calm to the Comm. Room. A deathly hush descended upon the six life forms congregating together in the large space. Then, three sets of heavy footsteps approached.

There wasn't a discrete path for the Decepticon Commander to travel where he wouldn't catch sight of the Autobots more delicate systems. Their base hadn't been designed for the secure transfer of giant, alien prisoners. Megatron would have to be guided through the Communications Lab, past them. He'd see them.

Ron didn't realise he was wringing the frayed ends of his shirt in anxiety when a large, inhuman shadow spread itself across the wall. He saw his son's skin grow taught under a coating of clammy dampness pushed out by his pores. His stomach sank at the thought of what the Decepticon might inflict upon his boy if he was ever able to wrap his vicious digits round Sam's skinny body.

Optimus was the first to appear. He said nothing but offered them all a nod of acknowledgment as he strode through the room, heading toward Rachet's lab.

Next came the hulking Decepticon warrior, Megatron. His presence was surreal. He was calm, composed, expressionless. In his bipedal mode he soared above Optimus. Even stripped of his weaponry and with his hands locked behind his back in stasis cuffs his brooding presence gathered like forbidding storm clouds, the kind that harboured devastating tempests. He looked worse for wear. His armour was battered and torn, smudges of energon had dried and coagulated in his joints and half his face was ripped apart making him look even more terrifying than before.

His fierce red gaze drifted to the humans who coward behind the legs of the two Autobots standing protectively in front of them. His attention lingering on Sam for the longest before he slowly guided it to the twins. Neither Sideswipe of Sunstreaker were afraid to hold Megatron's blood-curdling stare but both of them felt a chill rush through their sparks when those vivid red orbs settled upon them.

The Decepticon leader strode on, acting proud despite his circumstances. Ironhide, who was bringing up the rear stiffly grunted at Sideswipe.

"Take the humans home now!" He hissed. Sideswipe offered a mechanical salute then folded into his altmode, opening both doors for the humans to climb in. Sunstreaker was still focused on Megatron, his memory banks recalling all the dreadful crimes committed by the vicious warlord. Only the sound of his brother's car horn was enough to disrupt those dark memories.

Sunstreaker glanced down and the two human's lingering by his feet caught his attention: Captain Lennox and Agent Fowler.

"Lamborghini's only have two seats." Lennox laughed.

With all the hate and frustration in the world Sunstreaker huffed and crunched down into his altmode. The temptation to make them walk was there, but he doubted Ironhide would take kindly to that act.

"Ratchet. You have another patient." Optimus announced and stepped out of the doorway, into the medical lab, to make way for Megatron. Ironhide remained in the door way, his cannons purring softly at his sides to remind the Decepticon that he was not in control of his situation and should he dare to test the Autobot's containment capabilities Ironhide would express his latent love of symmetry and blast an equally ugly hole in the other side of Megatron's face.

Ratchet glowered at the Decepticon. He was busy soldering some leaky conduits in Bumblebee so he didn't allow the warlord's presence to keep him from his task.

"Have a seat." He muttered bitterly. Megatron didn't do as he was told. He continued to wander about the room, scrutinising objects of interest until he wound up standing over Arcee's berth in the centre of the bay.

Ratchet watched him carefully as did Optimus. Both were prepared to spring on him should he try anything unsavoury. But his hands were bound tightly, he was of little threat to the poor femme.

Arcee's optics revolved slowly to gaze vacantly at him. They flickered, then she looked away.

"I've seen this before." Rasped the warlord, rupturing the rigid silence.

_I hoped so._ Ratchet disguised his smirk behind a contemplative frown.

"Have you?" He muttered, not showing too much interest.

"Yes. It's a virus." Megatron stated it as if Ratchet, _a medic_, was incapable of figuring out that much by himself.

"No doubt you had a servo in its manufacture." Growled Ratchet. Optimus tensed, knowing that aggravating Megatron might not be the most prudent of plans. But Megatron's response was neutral. He made a harsh, barking sound that might have been confused with a laugh.

"No, something this..._intricate _goes beyond my capabilities. However, I've witnessed my fair share of viruses to recognise a nasty one when I see one. I'd go so far as to see the poor thing does have more than an Orn left in her. Which is a shame...she's an attractive creature."

Ratchet stepped around Bumblebee's birth. Servo's clenched.

In the doorway the resonance of Ironhide's cannons grew into an angry hum.

"If you know anything that could be of help to her..." Ratchet wasn't in the habit of asking nicely, even when it came to his colleagues he was always short. But if Megatron had something Arcee needed then Ratchet would stoop so low as to plead but he'd rather save that approach for his last resort.

"Are you asking for my help?" Megatron stared squarely into Ratchet's pale optics, daring the medic to react.

"If it means fixing Arcee we would appreciate your co-operation." Optimus interrupted. His deep tone bringing a calm to the tension stifling the room.

"Ahh but I want to hear the medic say it." Megatron cast his crimson optics back to Ratchet, his lips curling back to reveal his ugly, jagged dentition.

Ratchet snorted, the comment rattled him. He looked to Optimus, hoping for his leader's support in his bid to refuse the deriding request. But Optimus reminded silent and Ratchet knew his leader wished him to indulge Megatron's malice for the sake of Arcee.

Ratched hung his head and steeled himself. Megatron waited, a spiteful grin plastered against his lips.

"Please, for her sake. Help us."

Megatron leaned forward, his broad chest casting a shadow across Arcee.

"Then fix me first, Doctor, and perhaps I can find you somebody who can offer a second opinion."


	4. Workforce

**Hey people it's been a while. I thought Summer would give me more time to do some writing, apparently not :p Anyway this chapter introduces the most heinous of all creatures, THE DREADED ORIGINAL CHARACTER! *gasp* If I'm perfectly honest I cannot stand OC's usually if I see OC's mentioned in the summaries of fanfiction I avoid that fic like the plague! And I did try my best to not include them in my fic but for the sake of the story I'm afraid I must! I do solemnly swear though to avoid turning them into Mary/Gary Sues. I might not even give them names...but I will give them hell. :D For I am such a loving creator :) Let me know what you think anyway in the reviews. Happy Reading. **

Chapter Three

"No not there, _there!"_ _Stupid human_ Starscream thought bitterly, but he'd learnt over the passing days that human's did not respond well to his remarks aimed at their lesser intelligence so he kept the latter thought to himself.

Initially, they'd been terrified of him and rightfully so. Their brittle bone structure, flimsy organs and weak hearts made them only too easy to crush and Starscream made the puny creatures well aware of that. Their pitiable fear enabled him to instate rigid control over them. They'd never seen anything like his kind before, they had no idea what to make of him but he made very sure they knew what he was capable of. Starscream threatened them, he spat and cursed until their weak nerves melted them to quivering wrecks. He'd made them kneel before him, call him what he desired – _Lord_. It felt good to hold so much power, extremely gratifying and yet, while all these actions came instinctively to him there was a murky recess in his mind that asked 'why?'

Why did he have the need to be so absurdly cruel to the fleshy abominations? Why was he in need of their help? Why hadn't he been collected? Starscream hadn't forgotten the fondness he'd fallen into stasis with – the inexplicable swell in his spark that'd left him feeling strangely hollow inside now that it'd deflated.

He'd tried to ignore the emptiness, occupying himself with repairs and his two human slaves that he worked tirelessly but it was always there, itching in the back of his processor.

The smaller of the two life forms dug out the mud caking his gears and the larger one Starscream had sent to the surrounding fields to salvage the components he'd shed in his descent. At first they'd done so without a word of complaint but time was beginning to diminish their fear of him, they were finding their voices – and what loud ones they were. They realised Starscream was trapped in a state where he could barely twitch, he couldn't do them any real harm, not as he was, but once he was repaired he vowed to squash them beneath his almighty heel.

He'd been fortunate in the crash - as fortunate as one could be in such _unfortunate _circumstances. His landing had simultaneously isolated the humans and so solved one of his biggest problems. He'd destroyed power cables on the way down leaving the humans without a phone to call their wretched authorities with and landed upon their only vehicle, crushing it beneath his bulk.

Now he didn't have to worry about them scuttling off to seek the Autobot alliance members that'd turn him into scrap parts. But he was operating on gut instinct, there was something preventing him from remembering why he didn't want to be found by his own species...

"So who's Alexis?" The human female scraping dirt out of his arm joints asked. He'd kept her working over night, she had dark rings beneath her droopy brown eyes and was as filthy as he was The extent of her gruelling labour had her almost completely crawling inside some of the larger gaps between armour plates.

"W-what?" Starscream shrieked. That name was familiar to him, it pulled up more images, most of the petite brown-haired girl. But her face and the faces surrounding the memories, the locations, the times, they were all in obscurity.

"The night you landed, you called me Alexis."

Starscream stared at the grubby human female, standing with a fistful of leaves, his optics rotating and refocusing. Had he called her Alexis? How could he if he didn't know the name. But the mention of it did fill his spark with that same detestable fondness. Why was she so familiar and why couldn't he remember?

"Back to work human." He grunted, twisting his head away. The female did as she was told and continued to do so until her mate returned that evening carrying to two carrier bags brimming with misshapen ends in his chubby fists.

It was late spring so the evenings were light, Starscream had managed to prop himself against the weathered side of the barn. It bowed to his shape and fragmented on the surface, spitting red splinters against his flanks but it was as comfortable as he could hope to get.

The ground was still damp from the storm, the earth beneath him so stodgy he could feel his aft sinking into it. _Disgusting_! And there was no where he could drag himself to where he wouldn't be in the same messy predicament – grassy fields spanned for miles all around and the narrow road that led to the farm was a quagmire of gravel and weeds.

Many strange mooing noises came from the field closest to the human's establishment. Odd creatures of black and white roamed there, picking their way through the grass. They were big by human standards and the human female had the audacity to ask Starscream to 'keep an eye' on them as the beasts were apparently important to the humans' living.

"I do not have 'eyes' human." Starscream had spat and refused her request. But he had taken to watching them to occupy himself in the long waits between the times it took for the human to clean out parts of his frame. However, he'd chosen to watch them out of his own free will and not due to the demand of the human. He wanted to emphasise that.

The man stomped up to them, he looked weary.

"Well?" Boomed the Decepticon. Human Male dumped the carrier bags in front of him.

"That's all I could find."

"_That's all_! That's nothing! Get back out there and find the rest, I won't be able to fly unless I have all my parts back."

The male glared at him. Beads of sweat damped his brawny, tattooed arms and the frown etched into his dark brow caused him to look like a mad man. He wanted to defy the Decepticon, wanted to order him off his farm or risk racing to his nearest neighbours and making a forbidden phone call to someone who could remove the robotic menace. But who was there to call, the police? The army? Rag and Bone? The last option was indeed tempting but it was the way Starscream curled his elongated digits and the sight of the devastating missiles strapped to his forearms made the man realise he wouldn't get far before he was snatched up or vaporised.

"Didn't I make myself clear?" One of Starscream's enormous arms twitched. The man flinched out of his contemplative stupor, hurriedly he empty the carrier bags of random, warped parts at the feet of his robotic overlord.

Starscream watched the male pause in his actions to stare at his pale-faced mate. They shared a meaningful look for an instance Starscream considered to be too long.

"Fetch me the larger cylinders, quickly!" He flicked the female and she stumbled forward sharply. The male launched forward,

"Ah ah, back to work fleshy." With the same finger Starscream wiped a dirty plastic bag off the ground and into the face of the man, who angrily snatched it away from his vision. By the time he had his mate was on her knees clutching one of the thick cylinders, cylinders that were as long as her leg and could've been for anything. The male liked to think his knowledge of vehicles was fairly adept but Starscream put into perspective how little he actually knew.

As the male stomped back into the fields, struggling not to lose his wellys to the boggy sludge, Starscream watched him. The male had an attitude, attitudes led to over confidence and confidence led to defiance. Starscream would not tolerate defiance from these lesser life forms. He'd see to it that he stamped the male's spirit out of him.

There was something funny about that – Starscream having to deal with insubordination. The seeker wasn't without an acute sense of irony. But what was it that made it so ironic?

Once again Starscream became entangled by fundamental questions that challenged his identity. He was confused by memories of familiar sights, of violet ambience bathing gunmetal grey consoles, long navy corridors his footsteps echoed down and a great shadow always hanging over him – he _hated_ that shadow. He detested the person it belonged but who that was he couldn't recall and when he tried to he was confronted with a harrowing image of a red opics and a clenched denta. The image stirred up a sense of fear inside of him, the more he dwelled on it the more he yearned to cry out. _Stop!_

"Where does this go?" Asked Human Female. Having pulled him so suddenly back to the world of the conscious Starscream's processor took time to register what had been asked. Human Female was stood on his thigh, she lifted the cylinder for him to see clearly and as she did so out ran a thick stream of purple goo from a gash scored down its length. With a shrill squeal the female released the object. It hit Starscream's leg and added another scuff to his abundant collection. Then it rolled onto the ground, draining the rest of the purple gloop.

It was useless to him empty.

Starscream shrieked, it was such a harsh sound the wretched human attempted to protect her ears from the damage.

"Are the other's like that?" There were two more cylinders lying on the ground, "Are they damaged? Bring them to me! Quick!"

The human female nimbly dashed to the cylinders and dragged the closest one to Starscream's open servo. He whisked it up. Like its counterpart it was damaged and before any of the precious liquid could escape Starscream pressed it to his hungry maw.

The energon tasted stale, fouled by the soil and bacteria of the vile planet. Starscream was repulsed by it. But the energon would help with his internal repairs, the biology of systems, so he guzzled it down.

The human watched, Starscream couldn't tell if she was confused or disgusted as he lifted the crevice away from his mouth. A stringy sliver of energon dangled from his chin that he wiped away then sucked off his fingers.

Already he could feel his insides warming pleasantly as they utilised the newly deposited energy.

She was heaving the third cylinder toward him when she opened her annoying mouth again.

"Is this your food?"

_Food?_ He'd encountered the term before, had it explained to him before, he knew what it meant. Food was fuel.

"In a manner, yes."

"Is this all you ever eat?"

"There are varying degrees to its quality." He found a small split in the next cylinder and drank from it.

"I couldn't imagine only ever eating one thing." She said it as if Starscream would be interested. Why was it that she was having such difficulty understanding that he didn't want to engage with her, didn't care about her opinion and didn't want to offer her his opinion on anything other than his repairs? Was she trying to befriend him? Maybe the ability to manipulate mechs was an attribute shared mutually by females across the galaxy – _sneaky fraggers _he thought. Starscream took the last cylinder from her. "Life without a cheese and pickle sandwi"-

"Enough." Starscream snapped and Human Female dropped into stunned silence. After guzzling the remaining trickles of energon out of the container he glanced down at the sheepish female near his legs, shifting from toe to toe, idle, "Why aren't you working?" He demanded, discarding the cylinder so that it bounced off the ground just behind her. The female sprang into the air and cried out in alarm; this incited a small crackle of cruel, static laugher from Starscream. The little beads of water collecting round her eyelids brought a malicious surge to Starscream's spark.

"Do I frighten you femme?" He asked, leaning forward as much as his half crippled frame would allow. He stroked the sharp end of a claw between her shoulder blades, snagging the loose material humans swathed their vulnerable bodies in. If the material was meant to be armour it served its purpose poorly. Starscream could strip her of it right now and take a good look at the human equivalent of a protoform. Her mate wouldn't like that Starscream thought and a wicked sneer worked the pistons and valves in his faceplate.

In answer to his question Human Female nodded feebly, she turned her front away from him, wanting to escape the intrusive exploration of her body. Forcefully Starscream spun her back around, the light weight of her unbalanced form supported by his hand.

"Was that a 'yes'?"

"...Yes."

"Yes what?" His voice turned smooth, dropping to a whisper, a low purr that hummed in her head, sick with a lust for dominance and her utter submission.

"Yes, Lord Starscream." At the mention of his self proclaimed title Human Female saw that flame of Starscream's ego blaze in his expression.

Satisfied by her allegiance Starscream relaxed again, resting himself against the groaning barn.

"Now get back to work."

At first he was answered with silence, then her pitiable excuses drifted up to his audio receptors.

"M-My Lord I can't."

Starscream turned rigid.

"Why not?" He snapped at her.

"It's getting too dark. I can't see what I'm doing."

_Pathetic!_ A huff of impatient vented itself. It wouldn't be long now before her mate came back whining about the same issue.

"Then recharge you useless pest! Now! And be back here at dawn or I'll come looking for you!" After he'd slammed his fist against the muddy ground the human female scarpered off and hid herself inside her hovel awaiting her mates return.

Starscream glared at the dashes of orange splashing the low horizon. At this rate he'd never fly again, the humans were working too slowly. He decided he'd been too accommodating with them, hadn't emphasised enough that their desires should be to fulfil _his_ desires. Starting tomorrow, Starscream vowed to pick up the pace.


	5. Hot Coco

**SUPER AWESOME EXTRA COOL BROWNIE POINTS if you can figure out why the sign at the hotel is funny...if you can't or just don't find it funny, well, that's a damn shame.**

-

Mikaela had woken that morning to a big bouquet of colour shining in a vase of on her bedside table. The flowers came with a note, "Good morning Beautiful." It was written in such a terrible hand it could've only come from one person. One person who happened to be stepping into her room at that moment holding a steaming polystyrene cup in each hand.

"Hey Sleepyhead." Said Sam grinning widely. He placed the two cups on her bedside and quickly reached behind her to rearrange the pillows when Mikaela shimmed herself up onto her elbows. She settled comfortably against the pillows and smiled.

"They're lovely, thank you."

Sam leaning in and pressed a kiss on her lips.

"Don't mention it. Is hot chocolate okay? I tried the coffee here earlier and"-

"I'm surprised you're still standing." Having already experienced the terrible instant slop the coffee machine in the canteen spewed she completely empathised with the look of revulsion he was exhibiting.

There was another bed in the room she'd been allocated upon arrival to the hospital yesterday fortunately it was vacant and she had the benefit of a quiet room. Mrs Witwicky had since been using the bed as a dumping ground for all the supplies she'd carted from home much to the annoyance of the nurses who continually asked her to stop spreading clutter. Mrs Witwicky had brought almost everything except the kitchen sink, there was a brand new dressing gown, slippers, cartons of orange juice, grapes, a change of pyjamas – almost everything Mikaela could think of. She was glad somebody was fussing over her, Mrs Witwicky had been instrumental and Mikaela appreciated it deeply.

"There've been some big developments down at base." Sam said this and cast a quick look at the door just in case their privacy was about to be interrupted. Mikaela gulped down her intake of hot chocolate eagerly.

"How's Bumblebee? And Arcee?!" She asked more urgently remembering the terrible condition Arcee was in when they parted ways yesterday.

"I'll get to that." Sam settled himself into a padded seat and lugged it up to the top of the bed so he could speak without the worry of ears in the walls.

"So we all get back to base and next thing you know some Government Bigwig –who isn't Simmon's – Shows up with Capt'n Lennox, says his names Agent Fowler and tells Ratchet to prep the base because they're bringing Megatron into custody!" Mikaela's eyes grew as wide as saucers, Sam nodded in mutual concurrence, "I know right! So they bring Megs in and he demands priority patching up from Ratchet in exchange for information on how to de-bug Arcee."

"And this agent Fowler actually thinks Megatron will keep his word?"

"Not just him Optimus does too, he told Ratchet to do as Megatron asks apparently, I wasn't there when all this went down but while the twins were taking me home they got a message off Ironhide telling them they needed to track down some Decepticon doctor type who can help Arcee and bring him in. That's where they're heading now so I asked to be dropped here."

"Why a doctor why not just go after Soundwave, y'know, since he was the one who stuffed up 'Cee's systems in the first place?"

"Megatron said he'd be too hard to find, besides, this doctor supposedly designed the virus."

Mikaela looked worried, worried for Arcee and worried for the poor twins being ordered off to deal with some psycho surgeon or whatever this Decpti-creep was.

"So this doctor, who is he?"

Sam shrugged,

"Not entirely sure to be honest, the narcissistic type apparently, 'Sides reckons him and Sunny will get along like a house on fire. Ummm I can't remember his name, Kickback, Crackdown, no, um...K...K, K, K..."

While Sam was rattling his brain for a name Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were rolling up to the brink of a dusty desert ledge overlooking an expansive plain of red sands and solitary cacti. A wide flat road cut straight down the middle of the canyon, on the side of the road was a service station with a large but dysfunctional sign reading Hotel Class, however the E, both L's and the C conveniently no longer illuminated with the rest of the sign.

"This must be the place." Said Sideswipe struggling not to sound too amused. Sunstreaker grunted and made the descent down the valley side slowly to avoid smearing his precious altmode with grains of dirt. Inside his glove box a data pad rattled. On the data pad was a set of commands from Lord Megatron himself that clarified the authenticity of his strange request proposed through the Autobot vessels. When their bad Samaritan doctor doubted their word, which he obviously would, Megatron assured Optimus who relayed his assurances to Sunstreaker that the document would be sufficient persuasion.

The service station was quiet almost, there was a faint sound of a radio chattering away. In the car park there was just one bulky, rusted truck and the little shop where people went to pay for their gas was deserted but the door swung open in the strong desert breeze.

"_Bit spooky_." Whispered Sideswipe rolling to a slow stop. Sunstreaker had to slam on his breaks sharply, he heard a sound come from the open garage set a short distance to their left. Its entrance was tall enough to allow a semi to roll through comfortably with plenty of headroom, it could easily accommodate the size of a smaller transformer.

The sound was of metal grinding against metal. The twins couldn't see clearly into the garage but the more they focused on the one inside wall they could see the more aware they were of two shadows tangoing. One shadow was significantly bigger than the other and the twins hadn't been expecting company.

"The trouble you get yourself into Breakdown! Honestly, what would you do without me?" Said the voice belonging to the smaller of the two transformers.

"_Breakdown!" _Sideswipe squeaked. They weren't prepared for him, not to say they weren't capable of giving him a good fight it was just that...Breakdown could even be a handful for Ironhide, although the old warrior would never admit it but everyone knew it was true. And while this might be considered high praise from Breakdown's point of view it was very bad news for Sunstreaker and Sideswipe.

But Sunstreaker wasn't willing to be intimidated. He boldly transformed and urged his brother to follow suit. Sideswipe did so and tiptoed closer to the garage opening.

"Have a nice, quiet life probably." Rumbled Breakdown, whatever it was he was having done to him he sounded like he was enjoying it. Then came a sudden gasp and a dramatic pause. Sunstreaker, fearing they'd been already detected, froze.

"I love this song!" Chimed the smaller transformer and just like that the radio was turned up louder and louder until it hurt audio receptors.

"_Got my flash on it's true_  
_Need that picture of you_  
_It's so magical_  
_We'd be so fantastic, oh_"

"Sometimes the Earthlings can get things right!"

The larger mech groaned loudly,

"Why do you listen to this rubbish? It's embarrassing!"

The smaller mech was considering singing along with the tune for the sake of irking Breakdown who was currently at his mercy and had been since his recent return from Egypt where he arrived home in roughly three separate pieces but his enjoyment was interrupted.

"Knockout." The twins strode into the opening. The roof of the garage only just accommodated their heads.

With a shrill cry Knockout abandoned the instrument he was using to tighten the links in Breakdown's arm. His own arm folded back and a savage circular saw revved angrily. Breakdown was also struggling off the workbench but his current state disarmed him quite literally and his favoured hammer was resting on the tool bench opposite.

"Autobot scum!" Barked Breakdown.

"Charming." Sunstreaker disengaged his weapons as did his twin. The action left the two 'con's looking perplexed but they weren't as keen to drop their guard. "We're here with orders from Megatron."

Knockout and Breakdown stared at one another.

"But I thought he"-

"Fled with Starscream." Finished Knockout, "And why would _you_ have orders from _our_ leader." By now his saw had slowed to a quiet whirl but sped up again when Sunstreaker reached for a compartment inside his form. He revealed the data pad baring the seal of Megatron.

"Here." Without any other warning Sunstreaker tossed Knockout the pad. The doctor fumbled to catch it and it flipped about in his servos for an intense second before it was firmly grasped.

Sideswipe sniggered softly, attracting the attention of Breakdown, who glared.

Knockout began reading to himself.

"Ahh frag this!" Bellowed Breakdown. He rolled off the berth entirely and sparks blitzed from torn wires, "Let's scrap 'em and get back to fixin' me." He was so huge he had to stoop to avoid crashing into the ceiling.

The twins leapt to the defensive, standing shoulder to shoulder with the mouths of their numerous arm-mounted guns glowing hot and ready to fire.

"Now, now, Breakdown." Knockout, while still reading, patted his partner on the shoulder, then spun round so his back now addressed the twins.

Knockout tried whispering into Breakdown's audio's but his partner was so huge he barely arrived at his shoulder. With a dominative yank Knockout pulled Breakdown to his level and muttered.

"It's legitimate! Megatron wants me at the Autobot base!"

"Just you?" Grumbled the hulking mech. One of his optics had been reduced to scraps during the battle but the other still functioned perfectly and he fixed it on the Autobot twins.

"Yes but think about it, while I'm there I might be able to negotiate a few bits and pieces to be sent your way, Primus knows this Earth scrap is useless! And if I can't fix your optic you at least want me to be able to reattach your hammer don't you?"

Breakdown made a strange noise. A sound that suggested he recognised Knockout's logic but he certainly wasn't happy about having his partner whisked behind enemy lines, nor was he happy to remain behind and sit quietly and be useless.

"Very well!" Knockout twirled and stood a little straighter. Even compared to the twins he was embarrassingly short. "I will come with you back to your base and do what I can for your suffering femme but you should know I make no promises. It's been a while since I've seen a virus like this and you can guarantee Soundwave's made a few modifications to it since he acquired a sample. This will take time."

The twins nodded and stepped aside, allowing Knockout to pass between them. Moving out of the garage's shadow the midday sun beat against his dazzling paint job making it glow like smouldering embers.

Breakdown followed them to the edge of the garage and watched all three transformers switch into their altmodes. He was faced with the spectacle of the three of the most glorious cars he'd ever seen. The yellow one in particular, he knew Knockout would enjoy looking at.

"Well isn't someone a pretty mech!" Chirped the doctor. Sunstreaker stopped rolling on his wheels and stiffened. Even without optics he could sense the lustful stare Knockout was using to size up every aspect of him with and it made his tanks churn.

Not want to suffer it any longer Sunstreaker sped away angrily. Knockout watched the yellow paint work gleam, the throaty roar of the engine filling him with a tingly excitement.

"I think I'm going to enjoy where I'm heading!" He squeaked and hurried after the vanishing Lamborghini. Sideswipe slotted himself in rear position. It was a precaution in case the flirty Decepticon decided to bolt but if previous attitudes were any indication Sideswipe shouldn't have had any worry about that happening.

Breakdown was silly to have expected a fleeting goodbye gesture.


End file.
